Tag: General Synod

Voices from the Past: David Demarest on the General Synod’s Power of Constitutional Interpretation (1896)

December 10, 2021

There are many excellent works of church polity that have been written over the years, many of which are long out of print and forgotten, except for the dusty corners of libraries and the shelves of church polity scholars. Many of these have relevance into today, even though they were written for a church that … More Voices from the Past: David Demarest on the General Synod’s Power of Constitutional Interpretation (1896)

RCA Vision 2020 Report: Generous Separation, Part 3: The Rules and Regulations Themselves

September 27, 2021

The Final final (maybe…?) report of the Vision 2020 Task Force was released. You can read it here. This series of posts will look deeper at the recommendations not just from a pragmatic lens, but also through a theological lens. While many have given up on the reality that the church order is theological, I … More RCA Vision 2020 Report: Generous Separation, Part 3: The Rules and Regulations Themselves

Notes on the General Synod by David D. Demarest

July 13, 2021

I have not written much here lately. In part because the demands of pastoral ministry have been high, in part because my doctoral research is demanding, and in part because I recently finished work on a book discussing the foundational principles of Reformed church polity, I will announce more about that when there is more … More Notes on the General Synod by David D. Demarest

Canceling sessions of the General Synod: Lessons from 1933

April 27, 2020

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, communication came from the Stated Clerk of the General Synod that the 2020 session will be “postponed” until 2021, but that a special session will be called in October. The examples of 1933 and 1935 were cited as years in which there was no General Synod, which, as we … More Canceling sessions of the General Synod: Lessons from 1933

Reformed Church General Synod 2017: Overtures on Declarative Authority

May 30, 2017

This is part of a series of posts about the items and topics before the General Synod 2017.  Other posts in this series: Commissioned Pastors, Part 1: Foundations Commissioned Pastors, Part 2: Recommendations before General Synod *** An addition to the General Synod Workbook was recently released containing overtures from the regional synods. There are … More Reformed Church General Synod 2017: Overtures on Declarative Authority